Tuberculosis: a missed opportunity for early diagnosis at the front line?

Introduction: The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has increased over the last two decades. Many patients with TB preferentially access healthcare via the emergency department (ED) prediagnosis, presenting an early opportunity for diagnosis.

Methods: We looked at the number of patients who presented to ED in the 3 months prior to TB notification, and their outcomes.

An 'acute' presentation of motor neuron disease.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a chronic condition which presents mainly in the seventh and eighth decades. It classically presents with a mixture of upper and lower motor neurone features, with a predilection for the limb muscles as the presenting feature. The case report outlined below describes acute respiratory failure requiring non invasive ventilation (NIV), at the time of diagnosis of MND.